The beginning…that’s always a tough topic
to speak or even write about. What is the true “beginning” of Wicca? Where do
you start – where did it start?
So many questions, yet there are so very
little answers.
It’s a matter of what you believe. Some
believe Gerald Gardner invented Wicca – I beg to differ. In my opinion (you’re
free to believe however you wish), nobody in their right mind would sit down
and be like “I’m going to create a religion today!”
Sorry, but it’s simply not plausible.
Others say Wicca is an ancient religion
dating back prior to Christianity… I’m not saying this is false, because
anything is possible…however, there has been no substantial evidence that can
make this theory plausible aside from some cave paintings supposedly depicting
a man with the head of a stag and a pregnant woman standing in a circle of
eleven people. I have not yet come across these discoveries, but I am looking
into them.
A neat little website (wicca.com) is what
opened me to this discovery of these supposed paintings.
Here is an excerpt from the site:
“Thanks to archaeological discoveries,
we now have basis to believe that the origins of our belief system can be
traced even further back to the Paleolithic peoples who worshipped a Hunter God
and a Fertility Goddess. With the discovery of these cave paintings, estimated
to be around 30,000 years old, depicting a man with the head of a stag, and a
pregnant woman standing in a circle with eleven other people, it can reasonably
be assumed that Witchcraft is one of the oldest belief systems known in the
world toady. These archetypes are clearly recognized by Wiccan as our view of
the Goddess and God aspect of the supreme creative force and predate
Christianity by roughly 28,000 years making it a mere toddler in the spectrum
of time as we know it.”
Interesting, though there is no links or
proper sources that can prove to us of these cave paintings… Nonetheless, who’s
to say they’re not real?
The version or theory I personally find to
be most plausible is that Wicca pulls from ancient practices and beliefs, and
it’s a more modernized version of the ancient ways… To me, the thought that
someone didn’t “create” a religion, but more of added to a “skeletal structure”
of what once was seems to be the most logical explanation.
I’m not claiming to be right, but who’s to
say I’m wrong? Until there is proof that can be seen right before my very eyes,
the origins of Wicca shall remain a mystery to me, to everyone and all who
practice and choose to believe.
Knowing this, the fact that any of these
(or something else) could be the origin of Wicca, does not make it any less of a plausible religion… All religions had to
have a starting point at some time or another. Not saying that Wicca was
“started”, some time ago, because nobody may ever truly know…but if you look at
it logically, all religions were young and new at some point.
Christianity had to begin somewhere, and
I’m sure most who heard of it thought of it as silly – now look at where it has
come. Paganism is one of the ancient religions, clinging onto existence from
the old days where I’m sure it was “new” to some people at one point.
All religions have a starting point; some
may even have an ending point. All I’m saying is that it’s not the age that
matters, but the spiritual experience you get from that religion. Whether
you’re Baptist, Jewish, Christian, Pagan, Wiccan, a Satanist, an Atheist –
whatever works for you is the right religion or belief system.
It is not age or time, it is what the
beliefs do and mean for you. If Wicca is the right religion for you, then you
won’t be bothered by the hypocrites or the relatively unknown origins of your
beliefs…simple as that. If the Goddess and God call to you, then by all means,
listen to them. If it’s Buddha that calls to you, then listen to him. If it’s
just God in general, then go for it. Or, heck, even science. I’m a firm
believer in science despite my religious views. As Arthur C. Clarke so
wonderfully put it, “Magic's just science that we don't understand yet.” – and
I couldn’t agree more.
With that, I shall end this here. Whatever
you believe is yours to believe. Don’t ever let someone else make you feel
inferior or like your decisions and choice of religion don’t matter. Stay
strong, stay beautiful.
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